As a student of journalism, I first cultivated an abiding respect for Bill Moyers after seeing the extensive series of interviews he did with Joseph Campbell, a leading figure in the study of mythology, anthropology and religion. (If you are interested in these subjects, I suggest you check out "The Power Of Myth" from your local library. The piece is meticulously produced and offers a lot of insight into the cultural and ideological foundations of mythology.) The piece really left me with a respect for Moyers as an interviewer. He managed to provide an intimate portrait not only of the subject of mythology but also of Campbell himself.
Then, almost two months ago, I was flipping through the channels and caught a glimpse of Moyers delivering this speech on C-SPAN. It is a very powerful presentation which I think is particularly important in light of recent budget cuts that have been directed at NPR and public broadcasting in general. I strongly suggest taking a few minutes to read the transcript or download the video. It is thought-provoking, to say the least.
P.S. While I'm on the topic of the media, I implore everyone to consider the boon to society presented by the internet's unprohibited traffic of ideas. Surely someone in the FCC must be looking upon all of this and thinking it conspicuously unregulated. I can't help but wonder how long this moment in the sun will last.
